SUVA, Fiji (Fiji Times, April 1, 2015) – Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama said he hoped the spirit of goodwill between the Government, unions and employers which resulted in the signing of a tripartite agreement in Geneva last week will continue.

Speaking at the Marist Old Boys Nadi Chapter dinner on Saturday, he said his government remained committed to protecting human, political, civil and socio-economic rights for all Fijians.

"On the Government side, we approached the negotiations in Geneva with goodwill and I'm delighted that the FTUC rose to the occasion," Mr Bainimarama said.

"In reaching an agreement, we not only averted an ILO inquiry which wouldn't have been good for anyone.

"But we also resolved to work together —Government, unions and employers — to move our beloved nation forward.

RAROTONGA, Cook Islands (Cook Islands News, March 31, 2015) – The New Zealand Aid Programme yesterday entered into a new partnership with the Cook Islands Government to provide $450,000 [US$339,000] for maritime safety initiatives in the Cook Islands.

The Maritime Safety Programme is a regional activity, and the Cook Islands are set to benefit from increased institutional support, safety equipment, training, mentoring, and advice.

The programme is designed to help improve the safety of lives at sea through improved maritime safety and increased capability within the maritime sector.

The funding will help improve the effectiveness and performance of the Marine Division of the Ministry of Transport by increasing their capacity to deliver implementation of a Cook Islands National Maritime Transport Policy and Strategic Plan, which was also funded through the maritime safety programme....

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, April 1, 2015) – Ranking military officials have visited the CNMI and met with Gov. Eloy S. Inos and members of the business sector to discuss the military’s divert airfield initiative.

But the military declined to divulge details of what transpired during the meetings, instead opting to hold a press conference scheduled this Thursday.

According to press secretary Ivan Blanco, the military presented the "hybrid" divert plan to key officials as well as members of the government’s Strategic Economic Development Council.

There were no changes to the hybrid plan, Blanco said. "The military is doing the rounds to present [it]," he said.

He said the decision is still with the Commonwealth Ports Authority and Inos if the hybrid plan will move forward.

Under this option, the military is proposing to add infrastructure to both Saipan and...

He has been ordered by an upset Prime Minister Peter O’Neill to conduct a full investigation into how some of these money, intended for food supplies for the people of inland Kerema last September, ended up in the hands of two shipping companies.

Sir Manasupe said the K5 million was disbursed to the Gulf treasury so that it could be accessed faster and directly but "instead of the funds going left, it went right!"

Normally, such money would have been released to the National Disaster Office.

SAIPAN, CNMI (Saipan Tribune, April 1, 2015) – Before the CNMI Historic Preservation Review board cast secret ballots to approve Best Sunshine International, Ltd.’s archaeological dig in Garapan, they pointed to the 261 human remains dug up by Swift Harper Archaeological Resource Consulting on the same grounds 15 years ago, recommending that the remains, which have been sitting in a rented air-conditioned room for over a decade, be reconciled with BSI’s future work.

However, SHARC said the remains could be had "with conditions," and BSI argued that this data is outside what they were required to have per rules and regulations.

Discussion unearthed concerns over a potential lawsuit for the rights to these bones, the validity of the secret ballot casting, and open pitches across the room by SHARC principal investigator Michael Fleming to BSI that they fund the completion of his work...

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, April 1, 2015) – The vice-president of French Polynesia, Nuihau Laurey, has been expelled from the ruling Tahoeraa Huiraatira Party for defying it by seeking a seat in the French Senate.

His expulsion and that of his fellow candidate, Lana Tetuanui, was announced by the party president, Gaston Flosse - a move expected to be officially confirmed at a party meeting in two days.

This follows the two politicians' refusal to accept a party decision to re-nominate only Teura Iriti and Flosse's son-in-law, Vincent Dubois, as Senate candidates.

The latter two were made Senators last year, but a French court annulled the election, saying that a march by hundreds of Tahoeraa supporters to the polling station on election day amounted to undue pressure on the electoral college.

The signed document was hand-delivered by one of the governor’s staff during a meeting of the casino commission on Wednesday.

Michael Ernest, the legal counsel of the casino commission, said that the regulations, signed on an emergency basis, will be good for 120 days.

He said the document will now be transmitted to the Office of the Attorney General for publication in the Commonwealth Register.

The lawyer earlier said the commission has determined that these regulations be adopted immediately, noting that the commission will again meet to promulgate the regulations, which will open a 30-day window for the general public to submit comments.

HAGÃ TÃA, Guam (Marianas Variety, April 2, 2015) – Super Typhoon Maysak ripped through the Yap islands Tuesday night, destroying houses and vegetation, but as of Wednesday evening no deaths or injuries were reported as a result of the storm, according to reports from radio operators in Yap.

[PIR editor’s note: RNZI reported that ‘The local government in Yap State in the Federated States of Micronesia says this morning a rapid response team is being dispatched to get a fuller picture of damage caused by Typhoon Maysak.’ RNZI also...

SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, April 2, 2015) – Fiji's Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola has requested the Australia Government for the possibility of increasing the number of the Pacific Island Countries (PICs) quota for the Seasonal Workers Scheme.

He made the request during his meeting with Australia's Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade Steven Ciobo yesterday.

The request comes as the Fijian Government prepares for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Australian Government today which marks Fiji’s inclusion in the Seasonal Worker Program.

Also at the meeting, Kubuabola thanked the Australian Government for providing short-term employment opportunities to Fijians through their Seasonal Worker Scheme.

They also discussed other areas of cooperation and to re-strengthen bilateral relationships between the two traditional allies which included...

MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, March 31, 2015) – Papua New Guinean prime minister Peter O'Neill has called on Indonesia to fulfil the promise of its former president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, to reduce troops stationed in West Papua.

Mr O'Neill told Radio Australia's Pacific Beat program that Mr Yudhoyono had discussed this intention with him during a bilateral meeting when the PNG prime minister was in Indonesia for a state visit.

He said he hoped current president Joko Widodo would keep the former leader's promise.

"We will try and hold the Indonesian government to that, to make sure that the current government also has the same view about a reduction of presence of military on the island, and of course more autonomy for the people of West Papua," Mr O'Neill said.

He said there were no specific details discussed at the meeting with Mr Yudhoyono on the number of troops to be...

Pacific Islands Report is a nonprofit news publication of the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center in Honolulu, Hawai‘i. Offered as a free service to readers, PIR provides an edited digest of news, commentary and analysis from across the Pacific Islands region, Monday - Friday.